High-fructose corn syrup can interfere with learning and memory, according to a study published on Tuesday, AFP reported.

Two groups of rats were given a solution containing high-fructose corn
syrup as water by researchers at the University of California Los
Angeles for six weeks.

One of the groups was also given omega-3 fatty acids with brain-boosting qualities, while the other was not.

Before the drinks were administered, the rats were trained for five days in a complicated maze, said AFP. After six weeks, the group of rats which were not given fatty acids were slower.

Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen
School of Medicine at UCLA, said, "Their brain cells had trouble
signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and
recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier."

Gomez-Pinilla said, "Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term
alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But
adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage," according to LiveScience.

High-fructose corn syrup is six times sweeter than cane sugar and
commonly added to soda, processed foods, condiments and baby food, said LiveScience.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the average American consumes more than 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year.

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